Thank You Vice President Pence

What a day! The opportunity to hear the Vice President of the United States address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament – a truly historic moment, and a great privilege. This has followed a series of significant moments that this administration has initiated in the last year from President Trump’s visit to the Western Wall, to the historic recognition of Israel’s capital, Jerusalem to VP Pence’s address to the Knesset this afternoon. The excitement was palpable and so was the appreciation demonstrated by all present. There was even an impromptu support-rally just across the way, for those who wanted to be part of it all.

First, it was so meaningful to hear Prime Minister Netanyahu laud the deep and unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel. He connected the dots from the great declaration of King Cyrus of Persia, allowing the Jews to rebuild the Second Temple in 538 BC to the Balfour declaration of exactly 100 years ago, to UN Resolution 181 that passed in the United Nations on Nov. 29, 1947 to Ben Gurion’s declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, then to the reunification of Jerusalem 50 years ago and finally, to the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. I literally saw the timeline of critical decisions affecting Israel, being drawn in front of me.

Next was opposition leader Yitzchak Herzog. Even he was clearly moved by the momentous occasion. He too referenced Jerusalem, the place where Jews have been directing their prayers three time a day for two millennium and he used a biblical reference about the Jerusalem of past and Jerusalem of the future. When the Vice President took the podium, a pin drop could be heard, at least for a few moments, until ungrateful Arab Knesset members disrupted him by shouting and waving signs. But with grace and dignity, the Vice President took it in stride and brushed it off by merely saying how much he appreciated Israel as a “vibrant democracy.” How true, how true.

He then continued his address by saying how happy he was to be delivering it in Jerusalem, Israel! To hear that officially enunciated was literally music to everyone’s ears and inspired the first round of many standing ovations. (Hopefully this will finally end the the problem of US passports and birth certificates issued in Jerusalem, so that they can be marked “Jerusalem, Israel” and not just “Jerusalem”.) Even more importantly, he announced, almost in passing, that the embassy move to Jerusalem should occur by the end of next year! This is indeed a realistic time frame as the US consulate in Arnona is already in place and can be secured with minimal change. He discussed the need for Israel to defend itself by itself, also an incredible statement, and discussed how the US and Israel, as allies, will continue to jointly fight the global war against fundamental Islamic terror. These are words that had not been uttered once during the tenure of the previous administration. He then declared that “the United States of America will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon”.

Each one of these statements have been critical for Israel and its future and I think everyone in that room would have been happy to have heard the Vice President discuss even just one. To have them all said together from the podium of the Knesset, the seat of the Israeli government, in Jerusalem, was truly momentous.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sunday morning at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, Israel, welcomed US Vice-President Mike Pence in a red carpet ceremony with a military honor guard. The two leaders stood for the national anthems, after which they exited the arrival tent and met privately, before holding expanded meeting with their entourages.

In the afternoon, a group of supporters gathered outside the Knesset gates with signs and flags waiting for the Vice-President to arrive. Their aim was to say “Thank You” and show solidarity and appreciation.

For decades, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas has been touted by American leaders as a moderate man of peace.

U.S. leaders from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, and from Condoleezza Rice to John Kerry, all insisted that Abbas is the Palestinian leader who will make an historic deal with Israel.

President Donald Trump has met three times with Abbas since taking office.

On Sunday night, Abbas showed them what he really thinks.

He cursed Trump saying that the U.S. President’s “house should be destroyed.”

He attacked U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman in lurid, antisemitic language:

“U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman is a settler who is opposed to the term ‘occupation.’ He is an offensive human being, and I will not agree to meet him anywhere. They requested that I meet him and I refused, not in Jerusalem, not in Amman, not in Washington.”

Abbas then threatened U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

“She [Haley] threatens to hit people who hurt Israel with the heel of her shoe, and we’ll respond the same way.”

He called Trump’s anticipated Middle East peace plan “a slap in the face,” and said, “we will slap back.”

Israel is Beautiful!

Port of Acco

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